Diamant GDR Done

[us56456712]

Like me, with turning this piece of junk:

Into this:

The only things left are the frameset, parts of headset & stem. You just need to approach them like they truly are - sturdy & heavy pieces of slav technology.

The problem with your headset might have been caused by a change in the size of the headtube from imperial standart to metric.

Also about the BB axles - i did a lot of experiments with putting the axles in the wrong direction, and, yeah it works. Remeber, the most important part is the chain line - everything else is just cosmetics

That's nice! What size wheels? What sized tires?

 

[SpikeFC]

That's nice! What size wheels? What sized tires?

Originaly it had 27" 1 5/8 and ETRTO of tires 35-630, right now it's equipped with 28" and Kenda K-849 tires with classic MTB tread. The size is 700x40C with ETRTO 42-622. This modification required the change of brakes (with longer arms), and there is still enough space in the frame that I could try to squeeze a 44 or 47 tire in there. I'm also building another set of wheels with the rear one with only 24 spokes (8 on the left & 16 on the right) with sealed bearings and a 7 speed casette, and the front one with 32 spokes. Those will run on Continental Ultra Sport II with the size of 32-622.

 

[us56456712]

I did the chase and face on the BB. Threads are good now.

 

[us56456712]

We got our first snow last night. I just might leave the paint I gouged on the fork when threading the tube. It's too cold to paint and I have aways to go to get to the point where I can paint it.

 

[us56456712]

It's coming slowly.

 

[us56456712]

I got the chain on then: It started to snow. Snow was blowing on my Diamant so I closed the garage door and went inside to wash dishes so my hands would thaw out. The chain has been cut and spliced and the tugs installed and the chain tension is adjusted. I need to rebuild the Weisner 1920s bolt on side pull brakes.

 

[us56456712]

Im rebuilding the front Wissner clamp on brake

.

 

[us56456712]

The front brake body is done. I still have to put new brake blocks in the brake block holders. The originals with the tab for the return spring are obsolete.

 

[us56456712]

It's blustery, 12 foot waves on Lake Superior. It's pretty bitter around 40F with winds strong enough to blow my snow fence across my yard. Today I painted some small parts form the Wissner brakes and polished up the nickel on the rear brake. Sunday is going to be the only day for the next ten where it will get almost to 60F and be calm. I'll be gone to bird hunting camp and won't be back until Sunday night so Sunday painting is out. The rest of the days will be cold, rainy, windy or all three of these. I won't be able to paint soon but I'm hoping for a calm day in the 50s in the next two weeks.

 

[us56456712]

The ground is white and it's going to be cold for days. Painting is most likely really out now. I'll work on the brakes and assembly and she painting for spring. I'll post as I assemble

 

[us56456712]

The bolt on rear brakes don't clear the rims because the seat stays are too narrow on the track frame. New plan, turn it into a fixed gear bike with a front bolt on brake. I ordered an 18 tooth cog, which should be here the end of the month and then I can assemble it. I got the wood wheels and mounted up a set of used Vittoria 23 mm wide tires. I don't have any larger tires to try but there isn't a lot of room anyway. The track hubs are old telephone dial steel jobs. Like almost all used track stuff the rear Campy was bent but because it was steel I was able to bring it back to true. The front hub is an FB steel French track hub. The telephone dial openings are a little different but they are very similar otherwise. The Campy has the original logo engraved in the hub, probably 1940s - 60s.

 

[us56456712]

Winter work space to finish the Diamant GDR track bike. It has to be warm for the decals so I thought I'd bring the whole thing inside. Yeah, I'm a practiced slob, and proud of it. The spittoon in the right background is not for spit, the dog can't get his head into the spittoon opening to eat the detritus. My wife sleeps upstairs, she knows I have bicycle fetish, she can't compete anymore, gave up on me in disgust. I like the large flange 3 piece telephone dial steel 1940s hubs. The hubs were bent from previous crashes but I put them in my truing stand and massaged them back by prying on the flanges with a adjustable spanner. The nice thing about steel, it remembers where it belongs.

 

[us56456712]

I have the brake on. Right side front brake Euro style. The right hand is stronger, unless you are a lefty, so for a hipster fixie the hipsters usually put the front brake on the right. The hold up now is that my smallest "C" spanner is a little too big to fully tighten the track cog lock ring. Tomorrow I am going into town for a meeting and will take the rear wheel to the local bike shop so that they can finish tightening the cog lock ring.

 

[SpikeFC]

I have the brake on. Right side front brake Euro style. The right hand is stronger, unless you are a lefty, so for a hipster fixie the hipsters usually put the front brake on the right. View attachment 109881

Well actually most of the Euro bikes with only front brake, have the lever on the left side

 

[us56456712]

Well actually most of the Euro bikes with only front brake, have the lever on the left side

I did not know that. Must be a fixie hipster thing. Many pictures of fixie urban bikes have it on the right, I just figured the right front brake was European, like the road bikes I had ridden in England and the one I imported from England.

 

[us56456712]

It's ridable, if I had a place without snow to ride it. I pressed in the crank cotters. The only thing remaining are the decals, head badge mounting screws and installing the Botton bracket oiler cup.

 

[us56456712]

Decals are done. It's hanging up in the shop. Someday I'll put in the head badge screws and the BB oiler.
DDR Karl Marx Strasse decal

 

[Grant]

Decals are done. It's hanging up in the shop. Someday I'll put in the head badge screws and the BB oiler.
DDR Karl Marx Strasse decalView attachment 109969View attachment 109970 View attachment 109971View attachment 109972 View attachment 109974

Those commies REALLY like to advertise their countries.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I gotta say, that looks NOTHING like Karl Marx!

 

[SpikeFC]

I did not know that. Must be a fixie hipster thing. Many pictures of fixie urban bikes have it on the right, I just figured the right front brake was European, like the road bikes I had ridden in England and the one I imported from England.

That explains a lot! Bikes from England have their brake handles switched - front brake is on the right hand, and left one is for the rear one. All others have it in the normal way - left is front, right is rear, and most of the bikes that have only the front brake have the lever on the left.

Decals are done. It's hanging up in the shop. Someday I'll put in the head badge screws and the BB oiler.
DDR Karl Marx Strasse decalView attachment 109969View attachment 109970 View attachment 109971View attachment 109972 View attachment 109974

Those decals came out killer! Also a fun fact - it's like every city in the GDR had a street named Karol-Marx Strasse (or Stadt). I do remember some parts in my Trabant that had the same adress only in the city of Zwickau.